>> the north-east is bracing for a new year's blizzard, the first major storm of 2014 could dump more than a foot of snow in some areas. >> religion versus the affordable care act, an 11th hour audit on the bird control mandate. >> missing the -- birth control mandate. >> missing the chemical weapons deadline - why syria missed the deadline. >> secretary of state john kerry to begin another round of talks with the israelis and palestinians.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> you are looking at a live picture of the empire state building here in new york city. it's clear skies at the moment. that is quite literally the calm before the storm. a severe winter storm is headed towards the north-east, and is expected to impact a wide stretch from washington d.c. to new england. the storm system walloped the great labellings wreejon. chick -- lakes region. chicago was hit with 9 inches of snow and more today. 400 flights were cancelled at chicago's o'hare airport. the east-west is bracing for a storm, expected to pack a blizzard like temperatures, flirting with 0 degrees. the governor of new york said the state may close major highway as a caution. >> in boston city schools closed for the week, declaring a snow emergency for the region. let's go to kevin corriveau for

more on the storm's project path. >> well, we are seeing our weather deteriorate across north-east because of two weather systems that are merging and combining their energy. it will be severe. the system to the north has caused snow showers towards kansas. that will move towards the east. we'll get accumulations across the great lakes area. to the south, the second storm, that'll make its way to the north-east. tomorrow there's l -- there'll be a bit of snow. starting for connecticut, massachusetts and other areas. >> this is the snow total as we go for the rest of the day. the heaviest snow is across massachusetts, connecticut and rhode island. totals will be like this, anywhere between 12-16 inches in

this area here. this is a 24 hour total from wednesday evening to thursday evening, across parts of new york, new jersey, 4-8 inches. back to pennsylvania, 2-4 inches. this will wreak havoc on a lot of airports. logan will be affected the worst on thursday, and j.f.k. and la guardia will be arrested. philly and washington - snow will be lighter. friday morning we'll see the snow begin to end. it's not going to end until we get to the noon time hour, and then it will move to the atlantic. a lot of people will clear out in that area. boston looks like this. thursday, heavy snow. friday, mostly into the noon time hour, and saturday we are clearing out. you can see the temperatures staying at 21 degrees. as we go towards sunday, they come up to 40, overnight lows of 30. on monday a mix of showers and snow, and snow will continue for

chicago until the morning hours. >> we'll keep watching the storm. >> millions of americans are in the new government health care plan. hours before the affordable care act went into in effect a supreme court justice blocked the birth control mandate. we report on the controversial contraceptive coverage requirement. >> hours before ringing in the new year a last-minute surprise from sonia sotomayor. just before celebrating in new york, the supreme court justice blocked a key part of the health care law, ruling religious groups should not be required to offer contraceptive coverage. it angered many religious groups. a plea from catholic nuns was granted. the white house will fight the ruling saying the law compromised us to address chuften concerns. >> the decision came hours before the law came in effect.

covering millions. >> anything that will help me and my family, that's what we'll do. >> more than 2 million americans signed up for insurance under the affordable care act. the administration hopes 7 million will join by march 31st, when open enrolment ends. >> a lot of people think nothing will happen to them. >> controversy plagues the law. a botched website, cancelled policies and sticker shocks frustrate many. >> i was helping the average american. how are we supposed to live? >> you don't make much money and the prescriptions will kill me. >> the government is trying to process the applications flooding healthcare.gov. as the law goes into effect and coverage begins, republicans promise the fight is not over. >> obamacare is a reality. unfortunately it's a failed program that is taking a less than perfect health care system

from the standpoint of cost and making it worse. so the damage that obamacare has done, and will do on january 1st, 2nd and third will have to be dealt with as part of a reform. >> regarding justice sonia sotomayor's ruling the white house says they are deferring to the department of justice. the administration says it's confident that the affordable care act protects nonreligious employers. >> syria missed a deadline to dispose of the first batch of chemical weapons. whether and fighting in the country caused the delay. scores of civilians are still being killed. >> this blast was caused by a barrel packed with explosives, dropped by a syrian air force aircraft, according to the voice over from this video. >> dara is the target.

>> forces loyal have intensified the attacks on rebel controlled areas. the regime may have been stripped of chemical weapons, but that has little effect on its campaign against anti-government forces. >> the ships that were supposed to have taken the chemicals have returned to cypress empty. the december 31st deadline, due to weather and fighting on the ground, meant it has not been met. >> everything that syria needs to transport out of syria the chemicals - all the equipment has been provided, and has been delivered. >> so now it's a matter of getting the trend rolling. we understand that a number of factors have added to that, which have made the syrian authorities unable to meet the

31st december deadline. the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons says it is on track for the june 30th deadline when syria's chemical weapons program must have been dismantled. the syrian government is responsible for removing, packing and transporting the weapons to latakia port. >> this month assad's forces gained control of the highway linking damascus to the coast of the convoys could be vulnerable to rebel attacks. >> it's the conventional weapons causing death and destruction. >> this is inside a hospital. the syrian observatory for human rights says more than 46 it,000 civilians have been killed since the conflict began in 2011. >> the fighting has forced about one-third of population in syria out of their homes. doctors treating former israeli

prime minister aer yell sharon says his health is deteriorating. he is suffering from kidney problems. the 85-year-old suffered a stroke in 2006 and has been in a coma since then. he was israel's 11th prime minister in 2001. >> secretary of state john kerry is expected to arrive in jerusalem on thursday. the obama administration hopes to start 2014 with a renewed push for peace talks. john kerry will meet with israeli prime minister benyamin netanyahu and is scheduled to hold talks with the palestine president mahmoud abbas on friday. >> security concerns remained a key issue. training exercises carried out by the israeli army posed a threat. as simon mcgregor-wood reports, the mock raids have residents living in fear. >> in this village in the occupied west bank all is quiet.

on 5 november hundreds of israeli soldiers walked into town. photos taken by locals document their arrival. near the mosque young palestinians threw stones and soldiers fired tear gas. 15 soldiers entered this home. his 3-year-old daughter was terrified. the soldiers took up position on the roof. as night fell, they left without saying a word. >> the whole thing turned out to be a training exercise. >> translation: they didn't only disturb my routine, there's a sense that they command our lives. whenever they want, they can break into my home in whichever way they like. >> what happened here is happening all over the west bank. palestinians villages and town used for training. this was an evacuation exercise in august. also in hebron the israeli soldiers were filmed training in a palestine cemetery.

>> most palestinians are familiar with israeli soldiers on the land. the idea that some raids, often in which people were detained for hours on end in the homes are training exercises - well, that shocked many. >> in defense of the practice, the army issued the following statement to al jazeera: >> human rights groups say mock raids break the law and endanger civilians. when violence by israeli settlers is increasing, they ask why doesn't the army carry out mock raids in jewish settlements as well. this former israeli soldier says they are all about reminding the palestinians who is in charge. >> it's unusual that people would enter your house or train in the streets. i'm not sure i, as an israeli

would agree that someone would do it in my street or raid my house as part of training. this is part of why i think it's wrong. >> this person says the exercises are causing greater anger and resentment and that is not good for anyone's security. >> u.s. officials say they don't expect break throughs from secretary of state john kerry's latest middle east visit. >> negotiating a ceasefire as government and rebel leaders in south sudan try to find common ground. we meet an american couple trying to keep orphans safe from the violence. >> new york city swears in its first democratic mayor in 20 years - the changes that bill de blasio is making in the big apple. >> and colorado legalizing marijuana - the ripple affect it could have across the country.

>> peace talks are set to begin in ethiopia aimed at ending the violence in south sudan. the head of the peacekeeping mission is calling for an end to the fighting. the president called a state of emergency in two parts of the country affected by fighting where rebels sympathetic to riek machar have taken control of large areas, including bor. government forces are preparing a counter attack to take it back. both sides have sent people to negotiate. >> the former vice president ruled out a power sharing arrangement with his rival. >> 1,000 have been filled in south sudan. an american couple have been in the country on a mission, taking care of 10 orphans. they are now trying to get the

children out of harm's way. >> they went to south sudan to help others. they are the ones that need a hand. kim campbell, husband and two daughters have been taking care of south sudan orphans for two years. the missionaries are from nebraska, and the missionaries look after orphans. they are two miles from the u.n. camp. the heavy fighting made it difficult to get to the camp. >> we tried to leave the compound. whether they were firing to scare us, or at us, or at other soldiers, there was gunfire. >> it took two attempts to get to the u.n. face. now that they made it to the base, a heart breaking dilemma. if they leave, what happens to the orphans. american officials told the campbells, it's up to the u.n.

as to who boards the evacuation flight. >> they are aware who was here. they were put on an evacuation list, so they are rethey are doing what they can do. i understand they have procedures, but i would think enough time - someone can do something. if they are trying to protect children, this is not the place to do it. >> up to 180,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in south sudan. >> a knew era is underway in new york city. democrat bill de blasio was publicly sworn in by mayor wednesday. he was surrounded by family and friends and used a bible owned by franklin roosevelt. he is promising a fight for income equality and social justice. >> for the first time in 20 years, a democrat is now mayor of new york city. with fan fair, pomp and

circumstance, bill de blasio was sworn in as a 109th mayor of the largest city in the country in a ceremony presided over by a former president. >> we are called to put an end to economic and social inequalities that threaten to unravel the city we love. >> bill de blasio ran on the platform of a tale of two cities. can he deliver on his promise to help the have notes. >> anyone that rides into office with the support that bill de blasio did, has an agenda that is too significant to accomplish. he needs to continue to think boldly, and at the same time finding short-term victories. >> bill de blasio wants to tax wealthy new yorkers to fund programs, like full-time prekindergarten. to build housing he wants to

take $1 million from the pension fund. all have been met by opposition from a variety of groups. bill de blasio will be able to work across the aisle to accomplish things. >> there may be big picture progressive items. the idea of raising taxes on the rich to support pre-k and support young folks to have a quality education. there are a lot of areas where they want to see a lot of negotiations by the mayor to get things done. >> voters want change. in the end it will not be solely up to the new mayor to implement it. he'll have to turn to the state government in albany to get much of what he wants done. >> mayor bill de blasio promised to reform mayor bloomberg's controversial stock and frisk policy. >> colorado became the first state to make it legal to buy and smoke pot. hundreds lined up in the cold to

get their first legal stash. >> they have been lining up all day. the tide of customers has not stopped hundreds coming through the 3d cannabis center, the first customers to purchase legal weed. it's an historic day, a day that will generate revenue for this dispensary. it's a massive economic winnful and a cultural shift here in colorado. >> i'm standing in a line in the snow outside. that's how important it is for me. >> i have been waiting 42 years for this day. >> earlier on it was a media madhouse, more cameras than customers as pro-pot activists held a press conference to mark the beginning of a new age. >> it's a watershed moment for drug prohibition, ending it. >> we shift marijuana from the

underground into a regulated mark. >> the first customer, an ex-marine who served two tours in iraq, spending years working to get war vets access to weed to access it for post-traumatic stress disorder. he bought an i think of an ount and pot-infused chocolate truffles. >> it's a huge stepping stone and for other states to work on this. >> there's an aftertaste. >> it was nonstop. by noon the wait was four hours. and the atms were running dry as they came from near and far. store owner tony fox was thrilled, but says it's about more than the money. >> it's a business, but it's a

passionate social justice issue as well. it's personal for many of the people in line, as well as myself. >> nothing has challenged, other than 10,000 people will not be rested for possessing marijuana, and it will be sold by tightly controlled businesses instead of the underground market. in other words activists hope after the rush wears off, buying weed looks a lot like business as usual. day one of legal weed in colorado seems to be going off without a hitch. local police in denver say they have not had problems. a couple of police cars drove by checking out the line in the parking lot. state marijuana enforcement officials came in, satisfied with the way everything was going. this is being watched closely, not just in the state. but across the country. a lot are interested in the huge revenue. a huge cultural shift giving a

whole new meaning to the phrase rocky mountain high in the rocky mountain state. >> five years after the financial crisis investors enjoyed one of the best years, finishing the year up 26.5%. the s&p was up by 30%. there's optimism for 2014. >> the bull's ploughed through significant obstacles in 2013, overcoming growth and a government shutdown. >> if your money was in equities, stocks, you are happy. >> will the rally continue into 2014? >> there's nothing that would drive the market down. >> a factor fuelling the optimism is the housing recovery. in 2013 home prices rose 11% across the country, making consumers feel richer. >> a new construction is

expected to exceed 1 million units for the first time since the housing bubble burst. that means jobs. every construction jobs leads to three others. we can see a million new jobs coming out of a surge in housing. >> an improving jobs market is a reason the federal reserve is reining in its $80 billion a month bond buying moment that drove the stock market to record highs. now that that stimulus is receding investors will have to focus on fundamentals. >> they'll have to start innovating, investing in r&d and its employees and start growing with products and services. >> with corporations issuing profit warnings investors may be more discerning in 2014. >> gold typically seen as a safe

investment dropped in valuely 28%, the biggest decline in 30 years. tipping your waiter or waitress. why regulations could change how much you give them.

>> waiters and waitresses work lopping hours -- long hours often for little pay, arping $18,000 -- earning $18,000 a year, relying on tips. the irs is making challenges to gratuities, having an impact on the amount of money they take home. >> 43-year-old michelle pearson has been a waitress since she was 14. she's raising a family on the money she makes. tips from customers make the job worthwhile. >> it's been a great profession for me. in many ways. >> up until now serving staff like pearson were paid all the tips at the end of a shift.

it would be the employees responsibility to report the tips to their employer so taxes could be taken out. an internal revenue service ruling changes that. here is what is affected. the gratuities chosen for parties of six or more. under the rule the tips would count as wages and be taxed differently. it gives the irs an accurate report on how much is being tipped or taxed. some employees will not see the tips until regular pay periods, every two weeks. >> with the tip, that is how we pay our bills. >> some business owners complain the tip-taxing rules are complicated and are experimenting with ways to work around them. blue star restaurant is doing away with mandatory tipping

instead offering a suggested tip amount. >> many chains will take mandatory tipping off the table. >> you want to simplify it and do the best you can, making the tip available to the servers and make money available. >> according to one industry nament the practice may be dropped by 90% of all restaurants. >> there may be a silver lining in the new irs ruling. >> i think people should have free will, a choice as to what you want to tip a person or not. >> by doing away with mandatory tipping, they are giving large groups of diners a choice of deciding how much the service received is worth. >> the mandatory gratuity policy started as a way to protect servers, making sure they were not undertiped by customers. >> that will do it for this edition of al jazeera america. news at the top of every hour, and you can log on to the

website aljazeera.com for the latest headlines. thanks for watching. have a good evening. cl exchange can come from anyone, anywhere. game changers alex, ohanian and salman khan share theirs ideas with exciting game-changers. >> chances are you're one of the 80 million users of the social sharing site reddit or maybe you're one of the 10 million students brushing up on your learning skills on the online site, khan academy.